Fruit-picker.



. Patented Apr. 2, I901...

No. s7|,2o5. E. BEVAN.

FRUIT PICKER.

(Applicltion filed Dec. 3, 1900.)

(No Model.)

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/ NITED STATES EUSTACE BEVAN, OF MARTINSBURG, INDIANA.

FRUIT-PICKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 671,205, dated April 2, 1901.

Application filed December 3, 1900. $eria1N0. 38,515. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUSTAGE BEVAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Martinsburg, in the county of Washington and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fruit Pickers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to fruit-pickers of that class which are applied directly to the hand of the operator and designed-to gather grapes, strawberries,cherries,and other fruits that must be shipped with the stems on the same to preserve them for a greater length of time; and the object of the present improvement is to provide simple and efiective means of this character having inherent resilient and adhesive qualities and comprising two separate parts to fit over the thumb and first finger of the hand of the operator and extending inward beyond the first joints of the said parts of the hand to insure constant or fixed application thereof, the said parts having correlative devices for severing the stems of the fruit in the operation of gathering the latter.

The invention consists in the construction and arrangement of the several parts which will be more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the two parts of the improved picker shown applied to a hand in dotted lines. Figs. 2 and 3 are detail perspective views of the parts of the improved device.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

The numerals 1 and 2 respectively designate stalls for application to the thumb and index or first finger of the hand of the operator and each molded or otherwise formed from sheet-rubber, and of a length sufficient to permit extension thereof inward a considerable distance beyond the first joint of the thumb and finger to insure retention of both stalls in applied position and also permit free use of the tips of the finger and thumb in pursuing the plucking or gathering operation. The rubber of which the stalls are formed having the inherent characteristics or qualities of resiliency and adhesion will naturally produce the results just mentioned, and to avoid binding of the inner annular edges of the stalls on the thumb and finger with a painful sensation and facilitate removal of the separate devices when desired said edges are serrated, as at The thumb and finger ends are also completely closed when the stalls are applied thereto, and thereby protect the portions of the hand of the operator directly engaged in the gathering operation, and projecting from the outer end of the stall 1 is a concavo-convex cuttingblade 4:, simulating a thumb-nail, and having its outer end 5 sharpened. Extending longitudinally of the outer extremity of one portion of the stall 2 is a rubber anvil 6, against which the cutting end of the blade 4 is brought to bear, the outer surface 7 of the anvil being roughened to prevent the fruit-stems from slipping during the cutting operation.

In the use of the device the two stalls are applied as shown, and in gathering the fruit the first fingeris slipped under the stem thereof, so that said stem of each berry, cherry, or bunch of grapes will rest on the anvil and when the stem is so disposed the thumb is brought down at such an angle as to engage the cutting edge or end 5 with the same directly over a portion of the said anvil. This operation can be rapidly pursued, and constant use will soon result in dexterity of manipulation. It is proposed to secure the blade 4 and anvil 6 in their respective stalls by any suitable means and to have the rubber of any thickness desired. The stalls will be made in various sizes, and the proportions of the several parts may be varied at will.

The rubber anvil 6 willbe of such thick-- ness as to withstand wear and yield sufliciently to prevent cutting thereof by the blade 4:. The two stalls are connected bya rubber or other elastic band 8, which will serve to always have the said stalls in convenient re: lation for application and avoid any liability of loss of either, and, furthermore, the said band will resiliently operate to draw the thumb and. finger of the hand of the gatherer together when opened beyond a certain distance and ease the movement of the same.

The blade is intended to project beyond the end of the stall carrying the same only a distance equal to that of the projection of the human thumb-nail to avoid injury to the hand of the gatherer or picker.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed as new is jecting from one stall and an anvil on the other having an outer roughened surface.

3. A fruit-picker comprising rubber stalls for covering the thumb and one finger of the hand of an operator connected by a longitudinally-stretching elastic band, one stall having a projecting cutting-blade and the other a rubber anvil, the latter being formed by a distinct surface projection near the outer end of the stall on which it is located, and both stalls having outer closed ends.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

EUSTAOE BEVAN.

Witnesses:

BERTHA BEVAN, ARTHUR G. MORRIS. 

